


Play It Cool

by Proskenion



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Corporal Punishment, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Missing Scene, Physical Abuse, Season 1, Season 1 Missing Scene, Whipping, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-09-12 02:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16864390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proskenion/pseuds/Proskenion
Summary: Missing scenes about what happens to Logan after the bong Veronica hid in his locker is found. Or where Aaron is angry and Logan doesn't know how to play it cool.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies!  
> So, here is a first attempt at writing Veronica Mars fanfictions. I know season 1 is over for a long time but it still has such a special place in my heart, and I rewatched it a few days ago and I thought I had to write a little something and try to share it with you. I hope you like it!  
> Also, English is not my first language and tried my best but there are probably mistakes now and then. I don't have any Beta-Reader but if you want to point at the mistakes to me or anything so I can correct them, you're very welcome to! I tried to sound American but I'm more used to British English so it might be odd sometimes, sorry about that haha.
> 
> I also wanted to say that I wanted to write about it because when you first watch the first episode you obvisouly don't know about the abuse yet, but rewatching it with full knowledge of the abuse has always made me feel like Logan's punishment has been more than what he actually says in the show, and it breaks my heart. I don't know if that makes sense.  
> I'm not sure have written Aaron and Logan dynamic properly and if all this story makes sense. I would appreciate a lot to have your thoughts on that, please.

Logan followed Aaron out of Clemmons' office. He was very upset and his father's angry face didn't really fill him with confidence. With the anti-drugs policy of the school, Clemmons had decided to strike hard and Logan was suspended until the end of the week. Though the bong wasn't his, no one would believe him, and he was now walking behind his father, silently brooding over it. 

When arrived on the parking lot, Aaron spun around. "Give me your car key," he said sharply. 

"What?" Logan answered, taken aback. 

"I said, give me your car key. You'll have it back when I decide you've learn your lesson." 

"But - " 

Aaron firmly grabbed Logan's jacket's sleeve and said between gritted teeth: "Listen, Logan. I have an important appointment right now and I'm already late because of you, and let me tell you that this whole thing is really embarrassing me, especially now that I'm about to sign a very, very huge contract, and I'm not happy at all. So you stop jabbing and you give me your car key. Now." 

Logan moved to set himself free from his father's grip before taking out his key and handing it to Aaron. "When will you give it back to me?" 

"I don't know yet," Aaron answered, taking the key. And before going away: "We're not done, we'll talk about it later on tonight, do you understand me?"

"Yes," Logan answered in a breath, seething inside. 

"Good. See you tonight." 

Logan watched Aaron going away and asked:

"And how am I suppose to go home without my car?" 

"I don't care, handle it yourself!" Aaron replied without looking back to him. The moment later he was in his car, driving away at high speed. 

"Fuck!" Logan lashed out. "Fuck you, Mars."

~ 

"I don’t want his apology," Veronica said. 

Weevil silently agreed and Logan understood that it was over. He stood up and wiped the blood that was starting to fall from his nose. He barely looked at Veronica or Weevil while walking away. He jumped inside the car, blood falling from his nose to his mouth. While his friend was starting up the car, Logan opened the sun visor and looked himself in the mirror. "Are you ok, mate ?" One of the boys asked.

"Yeah," Logan answered quite bitterly. 

Logan wondered since when Veronica was friend with Weevil and his gang. Bloody hell ! That definitely wasn't part of the plan. Logan looked at his reflection in the sun visor mirror again. Well, that was just some kind of foreplay for what would probably be coming next at home, he thought bitterly. He wiped some blood with his sleeve again. 

~

"What happened to you?" Lynn exclaimed when Logan came in. 

Logan instinctively looked down at himself before realizing his mother was undoubtly referring to his swollen, bloody nose. He spotted some blood on his T-shirt too. "Erm - I had a little disagreement with a bunch of insignificant Mexican folks riding bikes," Logan answered, trying to sound merry. "I swear I gave them twice as much as this." He pointed at his nose. 

"Jesus, Logan," Lynn sighed, rolling up her eyes. 

"Do you think you're being funny?" Aaron asked. He was sitting in one of the couches, turning his back to the entry door, and Logan hadn't noticed him. 

"I don't know, you tell me," Logan answered back, half-teasing, half-sharp. Aaron turned his face to him.

"Careful, Logan." 

"Boys, please," Lynn said in a small voice. 

Logan wanted to answer back that, thanks to Weevil, Aaron wouldn’t need any explanatory tall story to gave him a broken nose and a few bruises this time. But he swallowed back this insolent answer and instead he asked, quite ironically : "How did your appointment go, daddy? Did you sign this huge contract in the end?" 

"It’s so nice of you to ask," Aaron replied, getting up. Logan instinctively stiffened, ready to move back, and he hated it. He hated those long learned instincts of fear. "As a matter of fact, I did. I signed it," Aaron resumed, stopping just in front of his son.

"Good for you," Logan commented. "So, what will you be playing this time? A tormented gangster with a big heart who wants to stop everything but can't? Or maybe some kind of charismatic, solitary justicer with a dark past looking for redemption?"

"Actually, I'm playing a cop. A cop whose son his dead by overdose and who is now determined to fight against drug trafficking. A very good script, and a good story about drug's damage, too." 

Logan swallowed, perfectly understanding the underlying meaning of it. If the press learned about the bong, this would be a very bad advertising. But then he smiled and said gleefully: "I guess there will be some South-American cartel to dismantle or something? Sounds great." 

"As I said, it's a very good script." Aaron said slowly, somehow threateningly. 

"Come with me," Lynn intervened, taking Logan by the arm. "Let's look after your nose." 

"I'm fine," Logan protested. But he followed Lynn anyway.

~ 

In the bathroom, Lynn had Logan take off his blood-stained T-shirt, which ended up on the floor, caught between the bath tub and the sink, undoubtly to be forgotten here and found by the maid in the morning. Then she started to clean the blood on her son’s face – something she was unfortunately too much used to do. She said: 

"Be nice tonight, Logan. Don't annoy your father." 

"He's already annoyed," Logan mumbled.

"He’s happy about this new film. So, please, play it cool and don't provoke him, and things will be alright." 

"So, I guess he told you about my latest great deed? What do you think ? Did I surpass myself this time ?" Logan said mockingly. 

"See, that's what I don't want you to do tonight," Lynn sighed. 

As an echo, Logan sighed too. Then, after a while he said, now very serious: "It's not mine, you know. The bong. Someone put it in my locker, somehow." 

Lynn looked at him and didn't say a thing. Logan saw she was tired, exhausted even, and her eyes seemed to say that she was way too weary to care about what was true or false. This vexed him a bit and he resumed:

"Mom, please! I swear it's true! I wouldn't lie to you." 

She sighed and turned to threw away the cotton wool she used to clean Logan's face. Then she looked at her son with the same weary expression and she said, putting her hand on his cheek: "Just be nice with your father, ok?" She stroke his skin with her thumb and then left. Logan stayed alone in the bathroom with his teeth gritted and a knot in his stomach. For a brief moment he felt like crying. 

~

All three around the dining table, Lynn, Logan and Aaron were eating in silence. After his conversation with his mother in the bathroom, Logan has gone directly to his room and changed in more comfortable clothes before starting to absent-mindedly play videogames. Now, he was silently eating pasta, and the tension was so intense that he felt like he was caught in a washing machine drum. Occasionally, he would glanced at his parents. Aaron seemed relaxed, but Logan knew that very little would be needed to make him angry again. As for Lynn, she had poored herself a glass of wine that she was drinking a bit too quickly, and Logan knew she would rather stay in that awkward silence until bedtime than take the slightest risk of provoking any kind of argument by some innocent remark. 

"So, when do you start filming?" Logan eventually asked his father. 

Logan intercepted his mother’s glance, not quite sure on how to take it. She looked crossed but also slightly worried. 

"At the end of next month," Aaron said.

"Great." 

"Why is that?" Aaron asked. 

"What?"

"Why is that great?" 

"Because it makes you happy," Logan said, slowly and as innocently as possible, "doesn't it?" 

"That's so nice of you, Logan," Aaron answered, without really hiding his irony. 

"How many figures this time?" 

"Logan," Lynn warned in a whisper. 

"I'm just asking," Logan replied. 

A brief silence fell, during which Aaron leaned against the back of his chair and slowly chewed some pasta. He swallowed and said :

"If you really want to know all the details, I negotiated it to 17 million dollars." 

Logan smiled slightly. "I bet you're happy," he mumbled. 

"I beg your pardon?" Aaron asked.

"I said - it's understandable you're happy."

"What are you playing at, now, Logan?" Aaron said, looking at him with an expression Logan knew well and wasn't to make him feel at ease. 

"Nothing," he answered. "I'm just making the conversation. Someone has to." He had muttered the last sentence, though he knew his parents had heard him. Aaron took his glass and drank it all. He put it back on the table noisily and sighed with satisfaction. 

"About your key, you'll have it back only if you behave."

"Fine. And will my car stay on Neptune High parking lot the whole time or could we at least go and fetch it?" 

"Why? Are you worry about what could happen to it? Well, you should have thought about it before."

Logan didn't answer and gritted his teeth. Being punished was annoying in itself, but being punished because Veronica Mars - he was certain it was her - set a trap on him for no reason, that was highly infuriating. He had to suppress the urge to knock the table over. 

"And about the talk you wanted us to have?" Logan asked after a moment of quiet, insisting on the word "talk". He did not know why he asked that. Probably to provoke his dad a bit. But also because part of him genuinely wanted to know if this was going to happen or not, and he waited for his father's answer quite worryingly. 

"I don't know," Aaron said slowly, "do you think we should have this talk?" 

"Depends," Logan answered without managing to hide his frustration, "will you listen to me this time when I tell you this bong isn't mine and that I don't know how it appeared in my locker?"

"I'm sorry Logan, but that's really hard to believe," Aaron said with a smirk. 

"You know what, dad? I don't expect you to believe me, » Logan suddenly burst out. "But you," he added, looking at Lynn, "I would have appreciated some support from you, mom!" 

"That's enough, Logan," Aaron warned. "You don't talk to your mother like that." 

Logan laughed slightly, a laugh without any hint of joy or amusement, but full of bitterness and frustration.

"But I'm not the one disrespecting her the most here, aren't I ?" Logan lashed out before he could stop himself. 

Aaron nearly jumped from his chair to grab Logan by his collar, and he did it with so much strength that Logan's chair nearly fell and Logan with it. Lynn started.

"Aaron!" She exclaimed. 

"Now you shut up, Logan," Aaron said threateningly, "I don't want to hear one more sound from your ungrateful brat's mouth, do you hear me?" 

Logan made it a point not to look at Aaron. He could feel his heart racing. Anger or fear? Both, undoubtly. After a while, as Aaron wouldn't let go of him and repeated "Do you hear me?" Logan nodded slightly. Aaron finally let him go and sat back down on his chair. 

"I'm sorry," Logan said sternly. He said it as if he was addressing Aaron but it was actually to his mother that he was apologizing, and to make sure she would get it he looked at her insistently. But she never looked back at him. Logan clenched both his fists. He looked at his plate as if disgusted by what he could see in it. He realized that he felt like he had a lump in his throat, and he couldn’t eat. But next to him, Aaron was finishing his plate quite noisily.

"So, to answer your previous question," Aaron said matter-of-factly while eating, "I think we'll need a little talk, after diner, yeah." 

Logan closed his eyes, taking a huge breath through his nose as silently as possible. But what could he say? He kind of brought it upon himself. He couldn't help it, he couldn't stay quiet. He couldn’t _play it cool_ , as her mother had said. When he opened his eyes again he met his mum's eyes. She was looking at him this time. The exhausted, slightly accusatory look she gave him made him feel terribly bad and ashamed.

~

Those ceremonials - because ceremonials it was - usually went with no words spoken. But that night when Logan handed him the belt, Aaron commented: "Sometimes it really looks like you’re looking for it, you know?" 

Logan looked at his dad and said: "Can we get down to it? So I can lock myself up in my room and not see your face anymore."

"Sure," Aaron answered sternly, inviting Logan to take place by a hand gesture. 

Logan walked away in the indicated direction. He just got the time to take off his T-shirt and the first blow came. The surprise, more than the pain, made him lash out a small cry. He hated himself for it. _Steady_ , he thought. He welcomed the second blow with gritted teeth, and this time no sound escaped his mouth. 

He quickly lost count. He would never really try to count. Instead, he would put himself in some sort of waiting transe in which he would focus only on pain itself, as if it were something whole and permanent; a state of mind that allowed him to take every strike more stoically, as if focusing on pain only made it more bearable. 

Logan did not know after how long it stopped. He silently put his T-shirt back on and took the belt from his father's hand without looking at him and walk straight out the room. He put the belt back in place and rushed outside locking himself up in his room, just as he had said he would. Only there he went back to a fully conscious state of mind. He wiped tears away before they could even fall down and took a huge breath. Then he walked in his room and sat on his bed. 

After a short while he took his T-shirt off and turned a bit to check his back in the wardrobe mirror. The skin had gone red almost everywhere, being closer to a dark purple at some spot. Seeing the damage on his skin seemed to increase the pain for a brief moment. Funny thing, the mind. It has been worse, though, way worse. 

Logan let himself fall on his bed, lying on his belly all accross the matress. He took his phone on the bedside table and saw Duncan had rang. He tried to call him back but Duncan didn’t pick up his phone. After a few minutes though Logan’s phone buzzed. 

"Hello, gorgeous," Logan said while picking up.

"Hey, mate," Duncan’s voice answered back. "Er – what’s up ?"

"I dunno, you rang in the first place, shouldn’t I be the one asking what’s up ?"

"You know what I’m talking about."

"Well, you won’t see me again at school before next week. You have your ex-girlfriend to thank for that."

"And – at home ?" Duncan asked, ignoring Logan’s assertion about Veronica. 

"Nothing new under the sun !"

"Are you ok ?"

"Couldn’t be better. I could use a backrub, tough. With a dash of arnica. If you want to volonteer." Duncan didn’t asnwered to that so Logan quickly added "Relax, D.K., I’m kidding."

"It’s not funny."

"When have you become so serious all the time ?"

"I’m not sure I ever found _that_ funny." This time Logan didn’t answered and Duncan resumed : "I’ll come at your place after school tomorrow, to give you your homeworks and see if you need anything."

"Ok, thanks. See you tomorrow, then. Night night, princess !"

"Yeah, good night."

"Oh, and, give Veronica Mars a kiss for me."

"I’ve heard you’ve already got your revenge."

"News go so fast in this bloody town. You’ve heard about Weevil too ?"

"Yeah. That’s why I rang in the first place, actually."

"Don’t worry, it takes more than a bunch of bikers to break me."

"Sure. But you should be careful anyway."

"I’m always careful." Logan laughed. "Now, see you tomorrow. Cheers !"

"Bye !"

Logan hung up and threw his phone on the bedside table. He sighed. He hadn’t realised how tired he was until now. He settled himself in bed as comfortable as possible and after a few minutes, he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A huge thump at his door woke Logan up in a start. « If you think you’re going to sleep all day you’re wrong, » Aaron’s voice came from the other side of the door, « you’ve been suspended, it’s no vacation, get up ! » And after knocking energetically against the door again, Aaron left. Logan moaned, stretched himself and got up. 

When Logan came downstairs a few minutes later he found his father in the kitchen. « ‘morning, » he mumbled. « Good morning, » Aaron answered gleefully. _So, he’s in a good mood_ , Logan thought. « I’ve made pancakes, » Aaron said with a smile. « Do you want some ? » 

« Er – yeah, sure, » Logan answered, still feeling a bit groggy. And while Aaron went to make him some pancakes, whistling joyfully and absentmindedly, Logan reach for an orange juice bottle which were still on the table and poured himself a glass. He noticed there was still a plate and a half-emptied cup on the table and deduced his dad just had breakfast. « Where’s mum ? » Logan asked. 

« Went to an appointment with her esthetician – or was it her hairdresser ? I’m not sure. Here, your pancakes. »

« Thanks, dad. She went early, » Logan commented, putting half a pancake in his mouth. 

« Don’t talk with your mouth full, » Aaron said, teasing.

« I’m not a kid anymore, dad. »

« Aren’t you ? » Aaron teased again. « And yes, she went early because she has friends to meet afterwards, or so she said. »

« Alright. »

For a moment they didn’t talk, Logan eating his pancakes as if he was starving and Aaron sopping his now almost cold coffee. « Want more ? » Aaron asked as Logan finished eating. « No, I’m fine, » he answered, his mouth full. Aaron eyed him with a smile at the corner of his mouth. Then he looked at his watch and said « Look, Logan, we’ve got an hour before my tennis coach comes over. If you can get ready quickly enough we’ve got time to go and fetch your car. »

« Fetch my car ? » Logan repeated in disbelief. « Really ? »

« Yeah. It’s not safe to leave it on the school parking lot. Come on, get dressed, we’re leaving in ten minutes ! »

Without adding anything Logan ran upstairs. He stormed inside his bathroom, brushed his teeth as fast as if his life depended on it, threw water all over his face and combed his hand threw his hair. Then he went back to his room, put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, leaving his night clothes scattered on the floor, and he ran back downstairs. When Aaron saw him he rose an eyebrow and smirked. « Well, that was fast, » he laughed. 

A few minutes later they were in Aaron’s car. Aaron put the music on and neither of them spoke. Soon enough Aaron started humming with the music and tapping the rythm absentmindedly with the forefinger of his right hand he had left on the shifter. Logan glanced at him and the corner of his mouth rose to form the shaddow of a smile before he could prevent it. Then, resting his head on the headrest, he looked up at the sky. Blue, with a shinning sun. A beautiful day. 

When they arrived on the parking lot of Neptune High it was deserted. Everyone was already inside, having their classes. Aaron stopped his car next to Logan’s T-Bird and take the key out of his pocket. He handed it to Logan but drew back his hand when Logan moved to take it. « You give them right back to me when we’re home, do you hear me ? » Aaron asked, his eyes locked in Logan’s. « Yeah, sure,» Logan agreed. Aaron nodded and gave him the key. « I’ll wait until you leave, » Aaron added when Logan was out of his car, « I’ll be right behind you. » Logan nodded, but waited to turn his back on his father to roll up his eyes in annoyance. « Of course you will, » he mouthed while getting to his car.  
When they arrived home Logan closed his car and gave his key back to his dad. « See ? » he said quite cheekily, « I’m such an obedient son. » Aaron smirked. « Don’t play at that with me, Logan. » Aaron threw Logan’s key in the air before catching them again turned his back on him to go to the house. « What am I suppose to do now ? »Logan asked without moving. « I don’t know, son. I thought you weren’t a kid anymore, remember ? I guess you can take care of yourself, then. » 

« I thought you had some big plans for me, since I’m suspended and it’s no vacation. Remember ? » Logan replied, not really trying to hide his sarcasm. Aaron stopped and turned around to face him. « I don’t. Just stay home, that’s all. » 

« Fine, » Logan muttered, thinking that without his car he couldn't go far anyway, while Aaron was going inside the house to get ready for his tennis training. 

~ 

Logan spent almost his whole time in the pool house playing video games. Around 1pm, though, his phone rang. It was Aaron. Logan frowned and picked up without taking the time to pause his game. « What’s up ? I’m in the pool house, » he said immediately, being on the defensive. But his father’s answer came as a laugh. « Relax, son. I just wanted to tell you that your mother’s back and she brought chinese food to go. Come, we’re waiting for you. » And before Logan could even answer Aaron had hung up the phone. Logan looked at the screen where the words _Game Over_ was now written in flashing, yellow letters. He threw the gamepad away and stood up. 

When Logan came in the kitchen was empty. He heard a laugh from the lounge, so he followed it and he found his parents seated in one of the couch, laughing while eating directly from the boxes. « What’s so funny ? » Logan asked. Lynn lashed out a small cry of surprise. « Gosh, Logan, you gave me a fright ! » she said, laughing again. 

« Sorry. Good to see you happy, mom, » Logan said. 

« Your food’s just here, » Aaron said, gesturing to a pile of boxes on the coffee table. « Thanks, » Logan said, walking forward to take one of the box. He sat down on the couch in front of his parents, and started eating. « Won’t anyone tell me what you’re laughing about ? » 

« I was just telling your dad something I’ve heard from a friend this morning, it’s not important, darling. » 

« Right, now I feel like I’m seven years old again and I’m being sent to bed because the growns-up are talking., » Logan answered sarcastically. He was pleased to see it made her mother laugh. 

« Any plans this afternoon, Lynn ? » Aaron asked. 

« No, I’m completely free. Why ? Do you have any suggestion ? »

« Hmmm I might have some plans for us, yes, » Aaron answered with a crook smile before kissing his wife. Logan rolled up his eyes. « Get a room, » he teased. 

« Careful, Logan, or you’ll be send straight to bed while the grown-ups talk, » Aaron teased back. Logan didn’t answer. He looked as his father kissed his mother again. His lips tilted into some sort of smile but simultaneously he felt a knot in his stomack. He looked down into his noodles box, as if trying to avoid the wave of mixed feelings that were submerging him. His mother looked so happy and radiant and in that moment she was so beautiful it warmed his heart. It wasn't so often those days, as she didn't seem able to go through the day without the help of pills and alcohol. She didn't drink today, Logan could tell it by the sound of her voice and the clear sparkle in her eyes. His father seemed pleased too, cheerful. It was nice, that moment was nice. But Logan couldn’t help thinking it felt somehow fake. Because at some point it will be all wiped away by another fit of anger, by another drama of some sort. Because Logan knew about his father’s unfaithfulness and it stained his tender gestures towards Lynn. Because he knew about his mother’s misery and it spoiled her smile. Because he knew those moments never last no matter how hard he wanted them to be the only real things they had. 

« You’re so quiet, Logan. That’s unlike you, » Aaron said, drawing him out of his thoughts. 

« I was just – nothing. » Logan mumbled. He looked at his parents again and when he saw Aaron kiss Lynn on her forehead before getting up and taking the empty boxes away, he wondered why he was not able to just enjoy that peaceful moment between the three of them. But instead he had to repress a sudden urge to crumble the cardboard box in his hand and throw it at his father’s face. « I’m taking this to the pool house, » Logan added, getting up and taking the boxes he hadn’t opened yet. « You two clearly need some time on your own. » 

« What ? » Lynn exclaimed. « Come on, Logan, don’t be a child, stay with us. » 

« And prevent you to put another Echolls in this world ? I would never forgive myself ! » Logan teased before leaving the room, before he could hear any of his parents’ answer and before they could prevent him from going away. 

Logan went back to the pool house and finished his food watching a movie. Then he went back to play videogames, without noticing the time flying. When he heard a knock on the glass of the door he answered without turning his face from the screen : « I’m alright, mom, I swear. »

« Er – sorry dude, but I’m not your mom. » 

« Duncan, hey, » Logan exclaimed, turning to the door to greet him when he heard his voice. « What time is it ? »

« Did you spend your entire day in here ? » Duncan asked instead of answering.

« Are you sure you’re not my mom ? » Logan answered back. Duncan laughed. He sat next to Logan on the couch and opened his backpack. Taking a sheet out and throwing it at Logan, he said : « Your homeworks. » 

« Thank you, mom, » Logan asnwered, insisting on the word _mom_. Duncan laughed again. « What were you playing at ? » Duncan asked. 

« Mario Kart. Wanna join ? » 

« Of course. It’s been too long since I haven’t make you bite the dust. » 

« Did you already make me bite the dust ? » Logan teased. « I honestly can’t remember, but my memory is not as good as it was in my young age. » 

« Shut up and give me a joystick, you bloody idiot, » Duncan answered back, laughing. Logan took another gamepad and gave it to his best friends. The boys settled himself more comfortably on the couch and Logan said : « Get ready for the biggest humiliation of your life, D.K. »

« You get ready, Echolls. »

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks!  
> I wanted to give another aspect of Logan family life and another atmosphere than the previous chapter, another color. Because there isn't only bad things, isn't it? I couldn't keep the angst away entirely though. It's still the Echolls, after all. I hope you liked it!  
> Reviews are most welcomed :)


End file.
